Box 2. Issues and initials

A guide to what the candidates and scientists are talking about.

ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) – A national research-funding agency founded in 2005. Previously, most research funding in France had been via block grants to specific research agencies. http://www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr/

Ariane – Europe's family of space launch vehicles, built by a consortium led by French industry and a source of great French pride. http://www.arianespace.com/site/index2.html

'Competitiveness clusters' (Pôles de compétitivité) – A 2005 interministerial initiative to link companies, research and education centres. http://www.competitivite.gouv.fr/index.php?&lang=en

CERN – The European particle-physics laboratory that sits on the Franco–Swiss border near Geneva; a shining example of European cooperation. http://www.cern.ch

CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) – France, and Europe's, largest basic-research organization http://www.cnrs.fr/index.html

EADS – A giant aerospace company formed through pan-European mergers. http://www.eads.com/

EPR – European pressurized reactor, a new type of nuclear plant designed by Areva — a French engineering company in which Germany's Siemens has a large stake — and the French electricity utility Electricité de France. http://www.areva-np.com/scripts/info/publigen/content/templates/show.asp?P=1655&L=US&SYNC=Y

Galileo – An EU/European Space Agency programme of positioning satellites that would rival or complement (take your pick) the American Global Positioning System. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/galileo/index_en.htm

GMES – Global monitoring for environment and security, a joint EU/European Space Agency programme with some military ramifications. http://www.gmes.info/

GMOs – Genetically modified organisms. A source of considerable unease in parts of rural France, and a sore point with minor presidential candidate José Bové.

Grandes Ecoles – The actually quite small schools that form the élite branch of French higher education, producing just a few thousand graduates every year; almost every school in the system is focused on a single speciality. http://www.cge.asso.fr/cadre_ecole.html

High Council for Science and Technology – A blue-ribbon panel created in 2006 to advise the president of the republic on national science and innovation strategy. http://www.recherche.gouv.fr/conseil/hcst/index.htm

INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) – The national agricultural research organization, Europe's largest. http://www.international.inra.fr/

INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) – The national medical research organization. http://www.inserm.fr

ITER – The internationally funded fusion reactor being developed at Cadarache in the south of France. http://www.iter.org/

Lisbon objectives – A programme designed to make the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world" by 2010, notable by increasing research spending to 3% of GDP.

PhD – Doctorates are a hot-button issue in France, where a PhD was until recently not recognized as a professional qualification (it still isn't under French law), and a poor cousin of a diploma from a Grande Ecole. http://cjc.jeunes-chercheurs.org/index_en.php

PRES (Pôles de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur) – Research and higher-education hubs. New entities intended to bring together nearby universities, hospitals and public and private research organizations, created by the 2006 law on research.

Saclay – A site outside Paris that is home to the Soleil synchrotron, ten research organizations and ten higher-education centres including three Grandes Ecoles. http://www.saclay-scientipole.org/uk/01saclay/home.htm

'Social movement' – A series of demonstrations and strikes aimed at changing policy by communicating the unhappiness of various sections of society.

SMEs – Small and medium enterprises, to which all French politicians wish to reach out.

A shorter version of this box appears in print